WEATHER GUARD PRCA World Standings Watch: Standings Shuffle – 42 Cowboys Move Up
With $3.85 million up for grabs between 38 PRCA rodeos across North America this past week, 42 cowboys saw their position improve within the WEATHER GUARD® PRCA World Standings’ Top 15.
Nobody knows this better than steer wrestler Kyle Irwin, who won $24,506 thanks to earning titles at the Cody (Wyo.) Stampede and St. Paul (Ore.) Rodeo. These wins helped launch Irwin from 37th, with $19,402 on June 27, to 11th with $43,908 on July 6.
It is important to note just how difficult it is to stay in the race during Cowboy Christmas. From June 27 to July 6, each event’s top spot total increased by:
• $23,844 – bareback riding
• $9,732 – steer wrestling
• $8,174 – team roping heading
• $10,264 – team roping heeling
• $13,761 – saddle bronc riding
• $23,120 – tie-down roping
• $4,149 – steer roping
• $19,359 – bull riding
Veteran and rookie cowboys alike know it’s easier to maintain a position at the top than it is to play catch-up when trying to qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo presented by Polaris RANGER. It’s important to build a solid lead as the summer season heats up.
Having 15 rodeos with six-figure payoffs this week proved to be a major boost as cowboys competed for $450,962 in Ponoka, Alberta; $352,273 in St. Paul, Ore.; $343,861 in Cody, Wyo.; $322,356 in Greeley, Colo.; and several other high-dollar, high-stakes, rodeos.
The following cowboys saw their position in the world standings improve between June 26 and July 5.
• Marcus Theriot moved from 30th to 13th in team roping heading.
• Tanner Milan moved from 19th to seventh in steer wrestling.
• Layton Green moved from 24th to 12th in saddle bronc riding.
• J.R. Vezain moved from 18th to eighth in bareback riding.
• Charly Crawford moved from 20th to 11th in team roping heading.
• Jason Thomas moved from 22nd to 15th in steer wrestling.
• Cory Solomon moved from 18th to 12th in tie-down roping.
• Rusty Wright moved from 21st to 16th in saddle bronc riding.
• Riley Minor moved from 14th to ninth in team roping heading.
• Levi Simpson moved from 15th to 10th in team roping heading.
• Richmond Champion moved from 12th to seventh in bareback riding.
• Jordan Hansen moved from 20th to 15th in bull riding.
• Tyson Durfey moved from 10th to sixth in tie-down roping.
• Dustin Bowen moved from 12th to eighth in bull riding.
• Sterling Lambert moved from 16th to 12th in steer wrestling.
• Cade Swor moved from 19th to 15th in tie-down roping.
• Junior Nogueira moved from fourth to first in team roping heeling.
• Paul Eaves moved from ninth to sixth in team roping heeling.
• Troy Tillard moved from 11th to eighth in steer roping.
• Brady Portenier moved from 13th to 10th in bull riding.
• Tyler Nelson moved from 16th to 13th in bareback riding.
• Jeremy Buhler moved from 16th to 13th in team roping heeling.
• Kaleb Driggers moved from fourth to second in team roping heading.
• Joe Frost moved from fifth to third in bull riding.
• Audy Reed moved from seventh to fifth in saddle bronc riding.
• Clayton Biglow moved from eighth to sixth in bareback riding.
• Tim Bingham moved from eighth to sixth in bull riding.
• Clay O’Brien Smith moved from eighth to sixth in team roping heading.
• Ryder Wright moved from 10th to eighth in saddle bronc riding.
• Matt Reeves moved from 11th to ninth in steer wrestling.
• Taos Muncy moved from 12th to 10th in saddle bronc riding.
• Caleb Smidt moved from second to first in tie-down roping.
• Tanner Aus moved from third to second in bareback riding.
• Shane Hanchey moved from fourth to third in tie-down roping.
• Dakota Eldridge moved from fifth to fourth in steer wrestling.
• Tuf Cooper moved from sixth to fifth in tie-down roping.
• Jake Minor moved from eighth to seventh in team roping heeling.
• Cody Quaney moved from 11th to 10th in tie-down roping.
• Joseph Harrison moved from 13th to 12th in team roping heeling.
• Heith DeMoss moved from 14th to 13th in saddle bronc riding.
• Orin Larsen moved from 15th to 14th in bareback riding.
With the Rooftop Rodeo in Estes Park, Colo., underway and many more big rodeos on the horizon, the outcomes of these rodeos and others are sure to impact the world standings, and possibly give a glimpse at who will compete at the 2017 Wrangler NFR.
Check back with prorodeo.com next week to see who the new leaders are in the world standings.
Courtesy of PRCA